Review of the Day: Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo

Mr. S
By Monica Arnaldo
Katherine Tegan Books (an imprint of Harper Collins)
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063003958
Ages 3-6
On shelves now

We’re far beyond The Kissing Hand now, my friends. Time was that when a parent came strolling into a bookstore or library in search of First Day of School Books for their incipient Kindergartners, there was really only one game in town to try. I cast no aspersions upon that raccoon-laden tale. There truly are children for whom the first day of school is a fraught affair, and the more comfort you can ladle on them, the better. But what about the kids that are just raring to go? The ones that have watched cousins or siblings go to school for years and have just been itching, YEARNING, to go themselves? A Kissing Hand title isn’t going to cut it for those particular kiddos. No, they’re going to want something strange. Something funny. Something wholly original, never seen before, extraordinary that also (for some reason) contains raccoons. They’re going to want . . . Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo. It’s a book that takes a pretty basic concept and strings it along to its impossible, illogically logical, end. For some kids, this is going to be the book they remember for the rest of their lives.

It’s the first day of school and the kids in room 2B are a bit baffled. They’re in their classroom, it’s time for the day to begin, but where’s their teacher? Slowly, oh so slowly, they come to realize that there’s an impressive looking sandwich on the table. On the blackboard are the words “Mr. S.” Could it be? Without wasting a second, the children come to the only logical explanation: The sandwich is clearly their teacher (and never mind the grown man outside battling the elements as he tries to rescue his car from a series of natural disasters). The kids learn their letters, do art, and even get in a bit of music and singing. But can a sandwich really be a teacher? And who’s that man outside the window? What does he have to do with any of this? The answer… may surprise you.

On the back of this book sits the following quotation from Adam Rex, “This might be the funniest first-day-of-school book I’ve ever read.” No small praise. Rex is, after all, the author behind the 2016 Best First Day of School picture book School’s First Day of School. I like to credit that book with alerting me to the fact that each and every year there tends to be ONE first day of school book that stands apart from the pack. One year it was King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes (2019). Another it was Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School! (2022). But Rex’s claim that this is THE funniest is cause for some debate. Generally speaking, first day of school books aren’t normally all that laugh-out-loud funny. They might be droll like First Day Jitters or funny in an understated Wes Anderson kind of way, like the aforementioned School’s First Day of School but there is at least one other book out there that is outright hilarious. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan Higgins is probably the strongest contender for the Funniest First Day of School Picture Book throne. I would have a hard time deciding between these two, so in lieu of a decision I call it a draw. Teachers – pair the two together. Do so, and I guarantee the greatest First Day of School storytime read of all time. Your students won’t know what hit them.

If you are a reader of a certain age, you may have a question. You may have read the premise of this book and thought to yourself, “Wait a minute. This sounds familiar. Is this entire picture book a reference to the burrito on the judge’s desk on the TV show The Good Place?” I assure you, my friend, that I had the same thought. Fortunately, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I was able to locate a conversation on Twitter dating back to 2022 when Ms. Arnaldo first introduced the concept of this book to the Twittersphere. It was fellow author/illustrator Julia Kuo who thought to ask, “Is this a reference at all to the burrito in the Good Place??” to which Ms. Arnaldo responded, “LOL omggggg it never occurred to me, but now that you mention it these two would be very powerful bros.” So there you have it. From the author herself. Not a direct reference by any means, but a half of a powerful pair.

For me, it was the moment when the lightning hit the car and set it on fire. I’ll explain. It is not a requirement that every picture book include content for both small children and the adults that will be forced to read and reread the book 100 times. It’s just a nice plus when it happens to fall out that way. In the case of Mr. S, there are two plots going on simultaneously. On the one hand you’ve the titular story involving the Kindergartners and their edible educator. On the other, there’s this whole background storyline (literally) happening out the window to a man seen only briefly in the room at the beginning. Just after he wrote the words “Mr. S” on the chalkboard (and isn’t it cute to see something as retro as a chalkboard in a picture book these days?) he spotted a tree falling over onto his car. As we watch the students in their classroom, things get worse and worse for this fellow. Hijinks? Oh, they ensue, my friends. Raccoons, pizza delivery guys, and the aforementioned lightning? They all take part. So what’s your favorite moment of high chaos to take place outside? For me, it’s going to have to be lightning. Every time.

I’m talking about what’s appealing to me, the adult reader, but let’s take kids into account here. The book’s written for them, after all. The premise is great, but I’ve seen plenty a fine premise fall flat when it comes to the final presentation. Fortunately, Ms. Arnaldo has honed her skills. The art pops. You can see it across the room, making it ideal for a storytime readaloud. And those little details I alluded to earlier? Perfect for a lapsit reading. But while illustrations are key, if the writing is not carrying its weight then it doesn’t matter. A truly great picture book is one where there is a balance between words and text (if there is any). Happily (and much to my own personal relief) that is the case here. Fairly early on I was hooked by the fact that when it appears that there is no teacher coming into the room, half the kids cheer, “No teacher means no rules!” This is swiftly countered by the other half of the class. “Absolutely not!” If you know kids, you know that this rings true. But it’s more than just truisms. It’s sandwich-related puns, excellently parceled out information, and, of course, that marvelous ending. A co-worker of mine who does storytimes on the regular told me that he recently made this part of his Funny 2023 Picture Books program and then had the kids vote on their favorite. Their choice? Ham’s down, this was the winner.

A word on the back endpapers. Illustrators sometimes think that we can’t tell when they illustrate real people into their books. I get that, I do, but let’s be real. Your average reader can tell. So when I got to the Yearbook-esque back pages of this book and saw the array of “teachers” there, I knew for a fact that they were people the author/illustrator knew. Who are they? Thank Uncle Google for answering that question. With very little searching I was able to identify Ms. Arnaldo’s agent Alexandra Levick, Sebastien Porco, and fellow artist Lian Cho. I’ll give a cookie to anyone who can identify more. This sort of thing is just catnip to librarians like myself. We simply must identify them all! But what’s particularly interesting about the endpapers of THIS particular book is the fact that the plot actually extends into that section. I’m not kidding! The last page of the book (which I will not spoil) makes you turn the page to try and figure out a big reveal and then BAM! You’re on the endpapers (with a mystery that is no clearer than before). It goes further than that, though. If you’re lucky enough to get a copy of this book where the book jacket has not been taped down, remove it and you’ll find something amazing on both the front and back covers. An endless source of delights, this book!

Getting back to my original point about first day of school picture books, it’s probably a good thing that we have so many different kinds in different styles out there. Some kids would probably appreciate those of the more touching variety. But even so, I know for a fact that there are small children out there for whom books, where they not only get the central joke but are surprised by the plot twists, reign supreme. So all hail, Mr. S! A finer sandwich in a finer picture book I have yet to see (take THAT Giant Jam Sandwich!).

On shelves now.

Source: Final copy sent for review from publisher.

Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2023, Reviews, Reviews 2023